Modern inventory systems, such as those in mail order warehouses, supply chain distribution centers, airport luggage systems, and custom-order manufacturing facilities, include a number of complex systems, including robots, automated shelving systems, radio frequency identification (RFID), and automated scheduling and routing equipment. Some systems, for example, comprise robots that travel to shelving systems to retrieve items and return the items to a different location for additional processing.
Automated warehouses exist that use robots, for example, to move items or shelves from a storage location in the warehouse to a shipping location (e.g., for items to be boxed and shipped). It is inevitable, however, that some items in the inventory system will be dropped, misplaced, or otherwise mishandled during transfer. In addition, accurate inventories are important to control costs, maintain inventory levels, and meet customer demand, among other things. Correcting inventory records to reflect the actual locations of items can be very time-consuming and expensive.
For brevity of illustration, in the diagrams herein, an arrow beginning with a diamond connects a first component or operation (at the diamond end) to at least one second component or operation that is or can be included in the first component or operation.